Tuesday, July 26, 2011

We recently had our midwinter feast and the theme was 1492. I wanted to create an English dress from around that period, between the Burgundian and Tudor styles. I found some nice wool blend fabric, some faux fur and a portrait of Elizabeth of York and my Pre-Tudor gown evolved. It was really comfortable to wear and nice and warm.

I drafted and cut the pattern one Saturday afternoon and made the dress in approx 6 hours, finishing as I was supposed to be dressed and ready to go. It has side back lacing, and as the fabric was quite heavy I used the strips of eyes (as in hooks and eyes) to form the lacing eyelets. It worked really well. Despite that and the lack of documentation, I entered the dress (with verbal documentation) into the A&S comp and much to my surprise came runner up. Thanks to Linda for the photo below.

Monday, July 25, 2011

I managed to do about 6 hours on the dress this week and about an hour on the documentation. The only problem is finding tiny sections that I have missed :( better to notice them now I suppose than after the dress is finished. Hopefully I will get at least as much done this week.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

As I mentioned yesterday, I am starting to work on documenting how I constructed my dress and why I did what I did and it occurred to me that one of the reasons is delusion.... most people would probably have looked at the portrait and thought...no way. Not me, I just thought "ooooh pretty, have to make it, it wont take that long surely", hence self delusion. Would I have made the dress if I had realised how long it was going to take? I am pretty sure a few people said I was a little mad to attempt it, but once started it has to be finished, so onwards and upwards as they say.

Thanks to everyone following the blog, mostly for the positive comments that keeps me inspired and partly a little for the guilt I feel if I have been really slack (which happens often) and don't update the blog as often as I should.

Monday, July 18, 2011

New sewing needles and another couple of hours of applique on the skirt done...there can't be much left to do surely? Who am I kidding, loads to do yet. When I think I am done I'll have a look from the inside to find all the tiny sections that I have missed. I have decided not to do any more of the couching until the applique is finished because I am worried about it getting caught on something and ruined whilst I manhandle the skirt this way and that around corners and back again. I am also trying to remember to take short breaks instead of marathon sewing sessions..... we'll see how that goes :)

I have also started to collate the documentation for the dress. For those of you not in the Society for Creative Anachronism, documentation is how we describe what it is we are trying to achieve, the methods used, the logic behind the decisions etc etc (or something like that). I think I will try and get it to a suitable standard to enter it into the Order of the Laurel Research and Documentation competition.

I usually just sew dresses and wear them. If there is a need for additional entries into an Arts and Sciences competition to enable to competition to go ahead, I have been known to more or less give verbal documentation, however I vary rarely, if ever write stuff down. Perhaps this is the motivation I need to get started. Again, we'll see how that goes.

I have also decided that I need to get this dress finished sometime this millennium. So my new goal is at least 1 hour of work on it each day. Can I clock up hours and take a day off here and there? Hopefully this will mean some more frequent blog entries with progress pictures that actually show more progress.

And just in case I get bored, I am still working on my Italian Renaissance Costume Challenge entry - nearly finished the 'trial' doublet to test the pattern, and have a few more dresses that are required for events for the remainder of the year. I am also learning to make armour for combat archery and in return, teaching some non sewers how to sew their own garb. Did I mention I also have a family (not into SCA) and a full time job :).

Sunday, July 17, 2011

I planned to spend the afternoon working on the Eleanora dress and managed to sew for an hour before I broke a machine needle......my last machine needle :( and being a Sunday, there is no where close to get any. That'll teach me for breaking three yesterday finishing the fur trim on my pre Tudor gown (which was finished 5 min before I had to leave for the feast....).

About Me

In the Society for Creative Anachronism I am known as Lady Rose Pennyngton, an English Lady residing in Elizabethan London.
Sixteenth century English and Florentine costume are my main focus areas, and I particularly enjoy the challenge involved in creating garments based on portraits. I have also made garb from other eras as they were required for particular events, and bits and pieces for people as needed.
In the future I intend to kep working towards period authencity and completeness of costume from head to toe. And of course, continuing to have fun costuming :)